Tagged: police scam Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Geebo 8:00 am on September 25, 2025 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , police scam,   

    Police Tragedies Used in Scam Drives 

    Police Tragedies Used in Scam Drives

    By Greg Collier

    In the aftermath of tragedy, communities often come together to grieve, to remember, and to offer support. Unfortunately, those same moments of collective sorrow also attract opportunists who see vulnerability as a means to profit. Recent incidents have highlighted how quickly fraudulent fundraising efforts can appear following deaths and other high-profile events, preying on the generosity of people who only want to help.

    Authorities in Pennsylvania recently warned residents to be cautious when donating to causes linked to three law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty and two others who were injured. Officials noted that scammers often seize on the public’s compassion, creating false donation drives designed to funnel money away from those truly affected. In this case, people were urged to verify the legitimacy of any fundraising effort by checking official channels such as police department pages or recognized associations before making a contribution. The advice reflects a broader pattern that has repeated itself in tragedies across the country.

    In New Orleans, the family of a local police officer who died recently discovered a fake crowdfunding page created in his name. The fundraiser was not authorized by the family, yet it began soliciting money from strangers who believed they were providing comfort and support. While the platform ultimately removed the campaign and refunded donors, the incident underscores how quickly such scams can materialize. The creation of the page occurred within days of the officer’s death, illustrating how scammers monitor news of loss and act immediately to exploit it.

    These cases are not isolated. Fraudulent fundraisers have followed natural disasters, mass shootings, and individual tragedies alike. The speed with which they emerge shows that scammers rely on the urgency of public sympathy and the limited time people often spend verifying details. In many cases, the organizers of these schemes never have access to funds if platforms intervene in time, but the emotional toll and confusion created in the process cannot be undone. Families already in mourning are forced to spend their time issuing warnings and clarifications instead of focusing on healing.

    Tragedies should never be treated as opportunities for profit, yet criminals repeatedly exploit the instinct to give. Donors can protect themselves by pausing before clicking on links, particularly those shared through private messages or social media comments, and by taking the time to research where a fundraiser originated. Visiting the websites or pages of local agencies, police departments, or recognized charitable organizations provides a clearer picture of which efforts are legitimate. Even a quick search to see if a campaign has been acknowledged by trusted institutions can make the difference between helping a family in need and lining the pockets of someone with bad intentions.

    Anyone who suspects they have been targeted by a fraudulent fundraiser can report the incident to their state’s consumer protection office or directly to the fundraising platform where the campaign appeared. In Pennsylvania, the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection provides an online complaint system and a phone line for victims of scams. In other states, similar agencies can be contacted to investigate deceptive practices. Taking the step to report suspicious activity not only protects individual donors but also helps prevent others from being misled.

     
  • Geebo 8:00 am on September 22, 2025 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , police scam,   

    Impersonating the Law for Profit 

    By Greg Collier

    An alarming case unfolded in Clay County, Kentucky, when an individual from Ohio was taken into custody on charges of fraud and impersonating law enforcement. Authorities reported that the suspect contacted a local woman on September 17, claiming she was facing criminal charges and demanding money.

    The situation escalated while the victim was in contact with the sheriff’s office. A deputy overheard a man instructing her over the phone to return home, wait until no one else was present, and expect him to arrive. Later that same day, the suspect appeared at her residence, where he was confronted by family members before fleeing.

    Deputies located him shortly afterward, and the vehicle he was driving had been marked to resemble an unmarked police car, which added to the ruse. Authorities also learned from the victim’s son that money had already been taken.

    This case underscores the dangers posed by impersonation scams that target vulnerable individuals in moments of fear and confusion. The outcome in this instance may have been far worse if the woman had been alone when he arrived at her home. Who knows what could have happened if she had faced him without the protection of her family?

    Across the United States, fraud involving impersonation has been rising sharply. Reports to enforcement agencies show that scams impersonating government officials or law enforcement occur frequently and cost victims large sums. Older adults have lost tens of millions of dollars in recent years to schemes in which fraudsters pretend to represent trusted institutions and demand payment under threat of legal action. These schemes are growing more sophisticated. Tactics now often involve spoofed caller ID information so that the fraudster’s number appears to be that of a legitimate agency. Communications by email or text also have increased as means of initiating contact. The tools available to criminals, including those that replicate voices or identities via artificial intelligence, raise the stakes for unsuspecting victims.

    When responding to suspicious contacts, keep in mind that real law enforcement will never demand immediate payment via wire transfer or gift cards. Nor will they instruct someone to wait until no one else is present so an officer can come by without proper verification. It is advisable to remain calm, hang up, and reach out directly to the agency in question using a trusted phone number or website. Personal information should not be shared with unverified callers. Verification of identification is also crucial, whether the request is by phone, in person, or by electronic communication.

    This incident offers a clear example of how impersonation scams can escalate if not interrupted. It also offers lessons about what protective measures individuals may take to avoid becoming victims.

     
  • Geebo 8:00 am on April 1, 2025 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , missing police officer, , police scam,   

    Fake Cops, Real Scams: Viral Hoaxes 

    By Greg Collier

    In recent months, a disturbing pattern of online deception has emerged, targeting public empathy and exploiting the image of law enforcement officers. These scams, spreading across multiple states and even international social media groups, rely on fabricated missing person posts designed to go viral. The intent behind these emotionally manipulative tactics is not to reunite families or assist in real emergencies, but to bait well-meaning individuals into sharing content that is later edited for profit.

    The scheme typically begins with a post claiming that a police officer has gone missing under mysterious or tragic circumstances. The posts are emotionally charged and often include fabricated details about vehicles being discovered abandoned or children found alone, suggesting urgent danger. These posts appear in local Facebook groups where trust and community concern are easily manipulated. They are deliberately crafted to appear as urgent pleas for help, tapping into the public’s instinct to assist in potential crises.

    What follows after widespread sharing is a bait-and-switch tactic. Once these posts have garnered significant engagement, the original content is quietly edited. Instead of a missing person alert, viewers are redirected to unrelated advertisements, rental scams or fraudulent surveys that promise cash prizes. In some instances, users are encouraged to provide personal or financial information, putting them at further risk.

    Law enforcement agencies across the country have been forced to issue statements clarifying that the individuals portrayed in these posts are not missing and that the narratives are entirely fictitious. In one case, a police department confirmed that the officer in question was on duty at a local school, debunking any claims of disappearance. Another incident involved a slain officer whose identity was repurposed to fuel one of these scams, turning a real tragedy into digital clickbait.

    What makes these schemes particularly insidious is their reliance on recognizable faces and compelling backstories. Scammers have used images of real officers, including those featured in legitimate news coverage, to add credibility to their hoaxes. In some cases, names and photos have been lifted from public articles and repurposed in different locations under false identities.

    This form of exploitation not only victimizes the people whose images are used without consent but also erodes public trust. It diminishes the effectiveness of real emergency alerts by desensitizing audiences who may become skeptical of genuine calls for help. Moreover, it weaponizes grief and community concern, turning them into tools for financial gain.

    Authorities have encouraged the public to remain vigilant, particularly when confronted with vague or unverifiable claims on social media. Posts that lack specific details such as locations, contact information for law enforcement, or timestamps should be approached with caution. While the instinct to help is natural and commendable, it is increasingly important to verify before sharing.

    The growing frequency of these scams points to a troubling trend in online behavior, where emotional manipulation has become a tool for exploitation. As these deceptive campaigns continue to evolve, so too must public awareness and digital literacy. Without intervention and widespread education, these scams will not only persist but continue to prey on the very emotions that make communities strong.

     
  • Geebo 8:00 am on October 18, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , police scam,   

    Strange new police impersonation scam emerges 

    Strange new police impersonation scam emerges

    By Greg Collier

    As we often state, the police impersonation scam that is the most common has to be the jury duty scam. Again, this is when scammers pose as the victim’s local police, even going as far as to spoof the police department’s phone number. The victim is told they missed jury duty and a warrant has been issued for the victim’s arrest. Then the scammers tell the victim they can avoid arrest if they make an immediate payment. This payment is usually made through unconventional means such as gift cards, cryptocurrency, or money transfers. A variation of this scam is when the victim is just told flat out there’s a warrant for their arrest.

    Now, a report out of Wisconsin says there is yet another version of the police impersonation scam. A sheriff’s department has issued a statement saying they’ve received an alarming number of phone calls about this scam. In the latest scam, the scammers are still posing as local police, including spoofed phone numbers, but the scammers’ demand is more than unusual. Residents have said that not only are the scammers demanding a $1000 payment in gift cards, but they’re also telling residents they need to undergo a court-ordered DNA test, or they’ll be arrested.

    We get why the scammers would ask for money in gift cards. That’s just what they do. However, a request for a victim’s DNA is a new one for us. We can’t imagine what the DNA would be used for, but the supposed DNA test may just be a ruse to get the victim to meet the scammer in person.

    Even with this new twist on the police impersonation scam, the ways to protect yourself remain the same. No legitimate law enforcement agency, office, or department will ever call you demanding payment. They won’t threaten you over the phone with arrest if you don’t pay them immediately. If there was a warrant out for your arrest, or a court-ordered DNA test was required, the investigating officers or agents would come to you without a phone call.

    If you receive one of these phone calls asking for money, or in this case your DNA, hang up and call your local police department at their non-emergency number. Not only can they advise you the call is a scam, but they can now inform the community of the scam as well.

     
  • Geebo 8:00 am on August 8, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , police scam,   

    How common is the jury duty scam? 

    How common is the jury duty scam?

    By Greg Collier

    We often say the most common scam we see in the news is the jury duty scam. Hardly a day goes by where we don’t see a police department or sheriff’s office warning their local residents about police imposters who are trying to trick victims out of their money.

    The jury duty scam is a type of fraud where scammers attempt to deceive individuals by posing as law enforcement officials or court representatives. They typically target people through phone calls claiming that the recipient has missed jury duty and is now facing legal consequences. The scammers then ask their victims to pay a fictitious fine that supposedly clears the arrest warrant.

    But the scammers don’t want you to go to the courthouse to pay the fine. They want their payment then and there, usually through payment apps like Zelle and Venmo, gift cards, prepaid debit cards, or cryptocurrency.

    Just in the past 24 hours, we’ve seen jury duty scam warnings from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, In Florida, the Annapolis Police Department, in Maryland, the Louisiana State Police, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, in Kansas, the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, in Montana, and the Mansfield Division of Police, in Ohio. Tomorrow, it could be another six police departments or more. If the scam hasn’t made it to your city or town, it’s probably on its way.

    If you receive a communication about jury duty, contact your local courthouse or law enforcement agency directly using official contact information to confirm its authenticity. Remember that legitimate government entities will not use aggressive tactics, threats, or demand immediate payments over the phone or email. If you suspect you’ve been targeted by a scam, report it to your local law enforcement agency and relevant authorities.

     
  • Geebo 8:00 am on May 9, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , police scam,   

    Scam targets families of college students 

    Scam targets families of college students

    By Greg Collier

    One of every parent’s worst fears is getting the late night phone call and hearing a police officer on the other side. Rarely, does that bring good news. Now imagine the call is coming from out of state where your child attends college. Of course, you want to do anything you can to help your child, but what can you do being so far away? That’s when the helpful police officer offers a solution that can be done online. Except, the solution is no solution at all. In fact, it’s an even bigger problem.

    That’s what’s currently happening to the parents of some college students across the country. Scammers are calling the parents of college students while impersonating campus police. Parents will see the phone number appear as their child’s college or university in their caller ID. The parents are then told the caller is with campus police and their child is in some kind of legal trouble. For example, a report from the University of Iowa said the scammers claimed the student had gotten into a fight and was currently being detained.

    As with most scams, the scammers will try to emotionally manipulate a payment out of their victim. The scammers will threaten to take the student to jail if payment isn’t made. Typically, scammers will ask for a payment that can be done over the phone. Another report from Texas A&M University states that scammers there were asking for payment over the mobile payment app Venmo. This is done because once a payment goes through on apps like this, it’s gone forever.

    Meanwhile, this is all going on while the student is completely unaware they’re being used as the bait in a scam.

    If this scam sounds familiar, it should. The scam borrows heavily from both the grandparent scam and the virtual kidnapping scam, with some police impersonation thrown in.

    If you receive a phone call like that about any family member or loved one, ask the callers for their information, such as name and badge number. Even if they give you the names of actual officers, don’t believe them until you verify their information. Hang up the call or use another device to contact the person who was supposedly arrested. You’ll more than likely find that person has not been arrested. Lastly, never send any money. Real law enforcement agencies will never ask for money over the phone.

     
  • Geebo 8:00 am on March 29, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , police scam,   

    Protect Yourself from the Jury Duty Scam 

    By Greg Collier

    As we tend to say, the most common scam featured in the news is the jury duty scam. We find news stories about this scam every day. Just a quick Google search found us jury duty scam warnings from police departments or sheriff’s office in Pennsylvania, Iowa, and New Mexico. If it hasn’t been reported in your area yet, it’s only a matter of time before it does. Even with all the warnings going around, the jury duty scam continues to find victims. So, we thought it’s probably time to remind our readers of this scam.

    The jury duty scam is a common scheme in which scammers impersonate officials from a court or law enforcement agency and contact people by phone, email, or text message. They claim that the person has failed to appear for jury duty and that there is a warrant out for their arrest. The scammers then demand payment of a fine or fee to avoid being arrested.

    In some cases, the scammers may ask for personal information such as Social Security numbers or financial information, which they can use for identity theft or to steal money from the victim’s accounts.

    It is important to note that legitimate court officials or law enforcement agencies will never ask for payment or personal information over the phone or email, and they will not threaten to arrest someone for failing to appear for jury duty. If you receive a suspicious call or message, do not give out any personal information or send any money, and report the incident to the appropriate authorities.

    If someone legitimately misses jury duty, they may face penalties or consequences, depending on the jurisdiction and the specific circumstances. In some cases, the court may issue a bench warrant for their arrest, and they may be required to appear before a judge to explain why they failed to appear for jury duty.

    However, please keep in mind, that when police do issue an arrest warrant for someone, they do not call them over the phone to warn them.

     
  • Geebo 9:00 am on February 22, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , police scam, , ,   

    Scammers trick victims into sending money to fake ‘federal locker’ 

    Scammers trick victims into sending money to fake 'federal locker'

    By Greg Collier

    There is a government/police impersonation scam that’s been around for a while. Now, scammers have added a new element to the scam to make the scam appear more legitimate.

    In this scam, scammers call their victims posing as a member of law enforcement. Typically, the scammers will say they’re from a federal law enforcement agency like the FBI, the DEA, US Marshals, or Border Patrol. Other than that, the scam usually follows the same script.

    Scammers call their victims and tell them a car rented in their name was found near the Southern Border near Mexico. The car supposedly had drugs and/or guns in it, and now investigators are looking at the victim as a suspect. The victim is threatened with arrest, but the victim can avoid arrest if they just pay a fine then and there. This is when the scammers ask for payment in some kind of untraceable means like gift cards or cryptocurrency.

    In the more current version of the scam, the scammers try to attract more victims with honey rather than vinegar. The scammers will tell the victim that their identity has been stolen, but the ‘agent’ can help the victim protect their money. Victims are instructed to send their remaining money to a ‘federal locker’ where the government will protect the victim’s money.

    Except, federal lockers used to protect a citizen’s money isn’t a real thing. The only federal lockers that exist are the one’s government employees use to store their coats. What the scammers claim is a federal locker is just the scammers’ bank accounts.

    If there were as many abandoned rental cars filled with drugs on the Southern Border as scammers claim, they would probably be stacked ten-high from California to Texas.

    That’s not even mentioning that if law enforcement thought someone was involved in drug trafficking, they wouldn’t be calling the person to warn them. In these matters, law enforcement would be coming to your door.

    If you get one of these calls, hang up. There’s no law that says you can’t hang up on law enforcement. Then call your local police department and tell them what the caller told you. They’ll be able to advise you on it being a scam. However, please keep in mind that no legitimate law enforcement agency will call you and threaten you with arrest or demand money.

     
  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 2, 2023 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , , police scam   

    Scam Round Up: Parking ticket scam and more 

    By Greg Collier

    Today, we’re starting off the New Year with a handful of new scams.

    ***

    Now, the police impersonation scam is nothing new. This is when scammers pose as law enforcement and threaten a victim with arrest if they don’t pay a made up fine. However, a new variation of that scam has turned up in an East Texas city.

    Residents of Navasota, Texas, have received emails that try to imitate the city’s Chief of Police. The emails are coming from a Gmail account, which should be a tip off the emails are part of a scam. The strange part of this scam is the emails are asking residents to become collection agents for the city.

    While the news report doesn’t go into great detail about the scam, we imagine that the typical police impersonation scammer is looking for money mules to do their dirty work. It seems the scammers are looking for unwitting participants in their scam to collect the phony fines from victims.

    Always be wary of unsolicited job offers. With any job offer, if an email comes from a Gmail address rather than a business address, there’s a pretty good chance the offer is a scam.

    ***

    In a small Indiana county, residents have been receiving phone calls telling victims they’ve won a prize from the Mega Millions lottery. Victims are being told they’ve won money and a truck from the nationwide lottery. It’s with the truck where the scam begins. Victims are being told they need to purchase a $500 gift card to pay the driver who is bringing the truck. Since the victim may think they’ve won a large sum of money, $500 isn’t much to pay to get a new truck. This is the advance fee scam. It is illegal to make a lottery winner pay for their prize outside of the initial ticket purchase and subsequent taxes. That’s not even taking into account that most lotteries do not give out trucks as prizes.

    According to the Mega Millions website, no representative of Mega Millions would ever call, text, or e-mail anyone about winning a prize.

    If someone is asking you to pay for a prize you supposedly won, the chances are there is no prize.

    ***

    Lastly, if you receive a parking ticket on your car, make sure it’s from the city before making any kind of payment. In Scottsdale, Arizona, residents there have been finding parking tickets on their cars. The ticket states that you can pay the fine by scanning the QR code on the ticket. After scanning the code, victims are taken to a payment website that no doubt puts the money in to the scammers’ pockets.

    According to Scottsdale police, the fake tickets do not contain what parking law has been supposedly broken. Nor do the tickets have any kind of citation number.

    This is becoming an issue around the country as these parking ticket scams have been popping up all over, including a recent arrest in Santa Cruz, California.

    If you receive a parking ticket with a QR code on it, call the city to verify whether the ticket is bogus or not.

     
  • Geebo 8:00 am on October 24, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , mobile escort, , police scam,   

    New tricks used in arrest warrant scam 

    By Greg Collier

    Previously, we have said that hardly a day goes by where we don’t see a news article from somewhere in the country warning about the arrest warrant scam. This is where scammers pose as law enforcement and call their victims to threaten them with arrest. This is done to try to get the victim to pay the scammers in the guise of paying a fine to remove the warrant. Typically, scammers will even spoof the phone numbers of police departments to make the police number appear on the victim’s phone. Like most scams, the fake police will demand payment through non-traditional and largely untraceable means, like gift cards or cryptocurrency.

    Usually, we post about the arrest warrant scam when a new wrinkle has been added to it, and a sheriff’s office from the Chicago area is warning residents about a few new twists in the scam. The first new trick is the scammers are playing recordings of police radio in the background of their phone calls. This is done to make the phone call seem more legitimate and to get the victim in a panicked state.

    Another trick arrest warrant scammers use is to keep the victim on the phone for as long as possible. For example, they’ll keep the victim on the phone while the victim is buying gift cards at a store in order to make it difficult for someone like a store clerk to interfere with the scam. Now, scammers have added two new aspects to this trick. The first thing is, they’re referring to keeping the victim on the phone as a ‘mobile police escort’. The scammers tell the victim to stay on the phone, so they can assure the victim won’t be arrested while getting the payment. This is not a real police procedure. According to police, this is also a way scammers can keep track of the victim’s location to rob them.

    Please keep in mind that no law enforcement agency will ever call you and threaten you with arrest if you don’t make a payment. If you ever receive one of these calls, hang up immediately. Then call your local police department at their non-emergency number to let them know this scam is going on in your area.

     
c
Compose new post
j
Next post/Next comment
k
Previous post/Previous comment
r
Reply
e
Edit
o
Show/Hide comments
t
Go to top
l
Go to login
h
Show/Hide help
shift + esc
Cancel